Best Streaming Services for Kids by Age Group

Not all streaming services are created equal when it comes to kids. The right pick depends heavily on your child's age — a toddler needs something completely different from a tween. Here's how the major services stack up across every stage of childhood.

Ages 0–2: Toddlers

PBS Kids is the clear first stop and it costs nothing. The PBS Kids app and website are purpose-built for young children — there is no adult content anywhere on the platform, no account required, and no subscription fee. Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Sesame Street, and Curious George are among the best-researched educational programs ever made for this age group. Before paying for any streaming service, try PBS Kids first.

Disney+ is the strongest paid option for toddlers. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Bluey, Muppet Babies, and Gigantosaurus give very young viewers a consistent, safe environment. The Kids Profile on Disney+ locks the app completely — your toddler cannot accidentally stumble into adult content, and they cannot exit the kids section without a PIN. At $7.99/mo for the ad-supported tier, it is excellent value for families at this age.

Netflix is a solid backup — Cocomelon, Bluey, and Peppa Pig are all available — but it is not as essential for toddlers as it becomes for older children.

Ages 3–5: Preschoolers

Preschoolers are ready for slightly more complex storytelling and characters they can follow across episodes. Disney+ remains the top pick — Bluey is arguably the best children's show of the past decade, and the expanded Disney library (Doc McStuffins, Puppy Dog Pals, Elena of Avalor) gives parents years of content without needing another subscription.

Paramount+ becomes genuinely valuable at this age. PAW Patrol, Blue's Clues & You!, and Dora the Explorer are preschool staples, and at $5.99/mo it is the cheapest major service with a substantial kids library. If your child is obsessed with PAW Patrol, Paramount+ is close to essential.

PBS Kids remains free and excellent — Wild Kratts, Arthur, and Clifford are all strong preschool programming with real educational intent.

Ages 6–8: Early Elementary

Children in this range can follow longer story arcs and start to develop genuine opinions about what they want to watch. Disney+ shines here with Gravity Falls, DuckTales, The Owl House, and Amphibia — all well-written, slightly adventurous shows that parents enjoy watching alongside their kids. The Disney+ library for 6–8 year olds is deeper than any other service.

Peacock earns a spot at this age through the DreamWorks library. Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight series and the How to Train Your Dragon animated series are genuinely great for this group. Peacock's free ad-supported tier means you can try it without committing.

PBS Kids remains relevant through age 8 — Odd Squad and Cyberchase in particular are strong STEM-focused programming that kids this age genuinely enjoy.

Ages 9–12: Tweens

Tweens are ready for more complex narratives and will push back against anything that feels "babyish." Disney+ continues to deliver here — Gravity Falls, The Owl House, and Percy Jackson are tween favorites — but Netflix becomes equally important at this stage. Avatar: The Last Airbender, Stranger Things (for older tweens), Wednesday, and The Dragon Prince give Netflix a depth that matters for kids who are ready to binge series.

Amazon Prime Video is worth adding at this age — Invincible (for older tweens), Rings of Power, and a strong movie library make Prime Video a natural complement to Disney+ or Netflix for families already paying for Amazon Prime.

Ages 13–15: Teens

By the teen years, the distinction between "kids streaming" and "adult streaming" largely disappears. Netflix leads here with Stranger Things, Outer Banks, Wednesday, and a wide library of PG-13 films. Disney+ remains relevant through the MCU and Star Wars for teens who are fans of those franchises. Hulu and Amazon Prime Video add depth with prestige teen-friendly content.

At this stage, the parental controls conversation shifts too — most parents transition from a locked Kids Profile to setting a rating ceiling (PG-13) on a standard profile, giving teens more autonomy while keeping a boundary in place.

Parental Controls: What Each Service Actually Offers

Parental controls vary enormously between streaming services. "Kids Profile" can mean anything from a fully locked app (Disney+) to a basic rating filter that a determined 8-year-old could bypass (some lesser services). Here is an honest breakdown of what each major service actually provides.

Disney+: Best Overall Kids Mode

Disney+ Kids Profile is the gold standard. When a child is in Kids Mode, the app interface changes completely — only age-appropriate content is shown, and there is no visible path out of the kids section. Exiting requires entering the account PIN on a separate screen. Children cannot accidentally or intentionally navigate to adult content. You can create multiple Kids Profiles with different age settings (e.g. a stricter profile for a 4-year-old and a broader one for a 10-year-old). Setup takes under two minutes.

Netflix: Strong Profile Lock

Netflix's Kids Profile is similarly locked — children see a different, simplified interface and cannot access content above the rating threshold. An additional option is setting a content rating ceiling on any standard profile (useful for tweens who want a regular profile but need a guardrail). Netflix also allows you to lock the profile with a PIN so it cannot be switched without entering a code. The weakness: Netflix has no built-in screen time limits.

Amazon Prime Video: Most Granular Controls

Amazon's parental controls are the most configurable of any service, particularly for households with Fire tablets. The Amazon Kids+ add-on (separate subscription) provides a curated, child-safe library, screen time scheduling, daily usage limits, and a detailed activity dashboard for parents. On Fire tablets, you can set separate time limits for different content types (e.g. two hours of video, unlimited educational content). This level of control is unmatched — but it requires more setup than Disney+.

Hulu, Paramount+, and Peacock

These three services offer Kids Profiles and content rating filters, but the profile locking is less robust than Disney+ or Netflix. A persistent child who knows to look for a profile-switching option may find a path out of the kids section. The recommendation for these services: PIN-protect your primary account, set up a Kids Profile, and use your device's built-in parental controls (Apple Screen Time, Android Digital Wellbeing) as a backup layer. None of these three offer in-app screen time limits.

PBS Kids: No Controls Needed

PBS Kids requires no parental controls setup because there is no adult content on the platform at all. The app is a completely closed kids environment. For parents of young children, this zero-configuration approach is often the most reliable option of all.

How to Choose the Right Kids Streaming Service

Most families do not need every streaming service. The right approach is to start with one and add a second only when the first does not cover a specific interest. Here is a practical decision framework.

Start with PBS Kids (It's Free)

For any child under 9, check PBS Kids before spending money on anything. Download the PBS Kids app on your TV or tablet. If the library covers your child's interests, you may not need a paid subscription for a while. Daniel Tiger, Wild Kratts, Curious George, and Odd Squad alone cover years of content for young children. pbskids.org works on any device with a browser, with no account required.

Disney+ Is the One to Get First

If you are going to pay for one kids streaming service, Disney+ is the answer for most families with children under 13. The library depth across Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic is unmatched by any single service. The parental controls are the best in the industry. And the content range — from toddler-level Bluey to tween-level Percy Jackson to teen-level Andor — means you will not need to switch services as your child grows. At $7.99/mo for the ad-supported tier, it is one of the best value propositions in streaming for families.

Add a Second Service Based on Specific Interests

Once Disney+ is in place, add a second service only if your child has a specific interest it does not fully cover. PAW Patrol obsession? Add Paramount+ ($5.99/mo). DreamWorks fans? Peacock's free tier often covers it. Netflix originals like Wednesday or Stranger Things? Add Netflix when your kids are old enough. Resist the urge to subscribe to everything at once — content libraries overlap significantly, and two well-chosen services cover almost everything most families need.

Consider the Disney Bundle for Families Who Also Watch Adult Content

The Disney Bundle ($14.99/mo for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+) is exceptional value if parents in the household also want a general-purpose streaming service. Disney+ covers the kids. Hulu covers adult drama, comedy, and next-day network TV. ESPN+ covers sports. That is three services for what Netflix alone charges for its standard plan. For sports-watching families with young children, the Disney Bundle is close to a no-brainer.